The Ridiculous Proposal

Bang.

The heavy double doors of the private VIP room crashed open, striking the wall with enough force to rattle the crystal champagne flutes on the nearby tables.

A frantic figure stumbled over the threshold. "Camilla's in trouble!"

That single, jagged sentence sucked the oxygen from the air. A second ago, the space had hummed with warm anticipation, meticulously draped in cascading floral arrangements and shimmering silver streamers for a highly anticipated proposal. Now, a suffocating silence slammed down over the guests.

In the center of the crowd, Damian Hayes knelt on one knee. A velvet box rested in his palm, the diamond catching the ambient light. Hearing the intrusion, he spun around, his expression shifting from romantic devotion to sheer bewilderment. "What the hell did you just say?"

Jace Langley shoved his way through the frozen onlookers, his bright blue hair a mess. His breath came in ragged gasps. "Mrs. Vance called. Camilla was in a car crash. She is at the hospital right now."

Chaos detonated. Panic rippled through the attendees as they scrambled for the exit, knocking shoulders and bumping into chairs.

Camilla Thorne held a special place in their social circle. She was the untouchable queen—gorgeous, sweet, remarkably talented, yet burdened with a fragile constitution that triggered an intense protective instinct in everyone around her. The moment danger touched her, the meticulously planned proposal ceased to matter. The festive atmosphere evaporated, replaced by a frantic rush to be by her side.

Even the man holding the diamond ring pushed himself off the floor. Damian shoved the velvet box into his jacket pocket and turned his back on the altar of roses.

"Damian."

A steady, unwavering voice sliced through the frantic scramble.

The room froze once more. A heavy realization settled over the departing guests: the other half of this supposed fairytale had not spoken a single word since the doors burst open.

During the sudden commotion, someone had bumped the main light switch. The bright overhead bulbs cut out, leaving the room bathed in the dim, golden glow of amber fairy lights.

Serena stood half-concealed in the shadows near the corner. Her stunning face, usually vibrant and expressive, remained eerily calm. No tears. No trembling lips. Just a striking, uncharacteristic stillness.

"You did not even wait for my answer," she said. Her tone held a cool, absolute edge.

Just minutes prior, Damian had looked up at her and asked her to be his wife. Now, his tall frame halted in the doorway. It seemed to finally register that he was abandoning the girl he had just asked to marry him.

He did not apologize for the slight. Instead, his posture relaxed into a patronizing patience. He softened his voice, adopting the tone one might use on a startled animal. "Serena, I am sorry, babe. I have to get to the hospital. Just… head home, okay? We can deal with this later."

"And if I say you cannot go?" Serena refused to back down. Her voice carried a distinct bite. "You know I cannot stand her, Damian."

He let out a long, heavy sigh. "Serena, please. This is not the time to act up."

"My answer," she stated, locking eyes with him. "It is now or never."

A dark frown crept onto Damian's face. Something about her demeanor felt off tonight. Normally, this situation would trigger an explosive argument. She would hurl some snarky insult at Camilla's expense, maybe wish aloud that her rival would stay in the hospital ward permanently. But this version of Serena? She stood there like an ice sculpture, radiating a detached certainty that made his stomach twist.

Before he could respond, Jace let out a loud, mocking scoff. "Oh, give me a break. What is with the theatrics?" He rolled his eyes, smirking at Serena. "Come on. You have been stuck to Damian like glue for twenty years. You have been obsessed with him since we were kids. You were probably doing backflips in your head when he popped the question. There is zero chance you are actually saying no."

Another guest near the door murmured in agreement. "Yeah, seriously. It is just a ring. You can do the whole song and dance another day. Camilla's life is literally on the line."

"Exactly. You two were always going to tie the knot anyway. This whole setup was just for show," a third voice chimed in.

The dim room buzzed with snide, toxic whispers, but Serena did not blink. Her sharp, unwavering gaze remained fixed on the man in the doorway, waiting for his move.

Damian sighed again. He closed the distance between them, raising his hand to pat her on the head like a petulant child throwing a tantrum.

"Be good, alright?" he urged, his voice dripping with condescension. "Do not make a big deal out of this. Camilla could be in real danger. This is not the time to throw a fit."

It was the same exhausting routine. Whenever she and Camilla clashed, Damian would rush to comfort the fragile victim without a second thought. Then, he would turn to Serena and treat her legitimate anger like a cute, childish inconvenience. Her feelings held zero weight in his world. Even now, facing an ultimatum about their marriage, he viewed her words as a hollow bluff. He truly believed she would wait for him forever.

"Oh, hell no. I am done listening to this garbage!"

A furious shout shattered the tense standoff. Gia Navarro, Serena's fiercely loyal best friend, stormed forward. She had been biting her tongue since Jace crashed the party, but Damian's dismissive head pat pushed her over the edge.

"Damian, what are you, her personal EMT?" Gia sneered, stepping between him and Serena. "Why is it always you running to Camilla's rescue? And how convenient is it that she picks right this exact second to crash her car? Last month it was a date night, now it is your damn proposal. What, she cannot wait five minutes before keeling over?"

Gia's chest heaved with anger. She had poured her heart, soul, and endless hours into helping plan this perfect night for her best friend. And once again, Camilla had swooped in with impeccable timing to wreck it.

She turned her fierce glare toward the whispering crowd huddled near the exit. "And you guys! Why are you all tripping over yourselves to get out that door? What is the rush? Are you visiting Camilla or picking out her tombstone? With how often she ends up in a hospital bed, you have probably spent a fortune on get-well flowers by now!"

"Ms. Navarro!" Damian's patronizing demeanor vanished. His face darkened into a stormy scowl, his voice snapping like a whip. "Watch your mouth."

"Oh, screw you!" Gia fired right back. She refused to cower before the man who would defend Camilla until his dying breath. "You are so quick to lose your temper when someone talks trash about precious Camilla, but do you even remember who your girlfriend is?"

Damian took a menacing step forward, ready to escalate the argument. Before he could unleash a retort, Serena reached out and wrapped her fingers around Gia's arm, pulling her best friend back.

Serena stepped into the sliver of light. She locked eyes with the man she had loved for the better part of two decades. When she spoke, her voice lacked any trace of warmth. It was absolute. Final.

"If you walk out that door tonight, we are officially through."

The remaining guests held their breath. The silence felt heavy, suffocating.

Damian stared at her. His frown deepened, morphing into a sickening mix of soothing comfort and outright dismissal. "Do not say things you will regret later, Serena. I will be back, and we will sort this mess out."

With that hollow promise, he spun on his heel and strode out of the room.

As his footsteps echoed down the hallway, his mind was already miles away, wondering how badly Camilla was hurt. He figured he would just buy a bigger diamond, book a fancier venue, and plan a better proposal later to smooth things over.

The energy in the private room flatlined. The guests lingered for a few awkward seconds. They were irritated by Serena's stubbornness and offended by Gia's venomous rant, but no one wanted to risk crossing Damian's future bride or a member of the powerful Navarro family. So, one by one, they slipped out through the double doors, casting judgmental glances over their shoulders.

Within minutes, the vibrant, buzzing proposal venue transformed into a desolate wasteland.

Crushed rose petals smeared the polished hardwood floors. Tangled streamers hung sadly from the ceiling fixtures. A knocked-over chair lay next to a table of spilled wine and untouched artisan desserts. The ruined decorations painted a pathetic picture of the half-hearted commitment Damian had just offered.

As the last few stragglers faded down the hall, a hanger-on who only came for the free booze muttered to a companion. "Hold up. Is Camilla not Serena's foster sister from the Vance family?"

"Yeah, they are legit cousins," the other replied in a hushed tone. "Why did no one even ask Serena to ride to the hospital with them?"

Someone else snorted. "Ask her? Why? So she can sneak into the room and finish Camilla off?"

"Wait, what? Spill the tea."

"Oh, buckle up. Let us talk about how Serena has been nothing but ungrateful and nasty since the Vances took her in…"

The toxic gossip trailed down the corridor, carrying the same venom it had for years. Whenever their names shared a sentence, Camilla was the martyred saint, and Serena was the ungrateful villain.

Beside her, Gia’s face burned a vibrant, furious red. Her hands balled into tight fists. She glanced sideways, expecting her best friend to be in tears.

Instead, Serena remained oddly serene.

The malicious gossip bouncing off the walls simply could not touch her anymore. The sharp sting of public humiliation felt muted. She watched the empty doorway, visualizing Damian walking further and further away. Step by step, he was taking the shattered remnants of their fractured bond with him.

He remained oblivious. He thought this was just another tantrum. He had no idea that the girl who once dreamed of wearing his ring was finally done waiting.

'Damian, I am letting you go for real this time,' she thought. A bitter sense of vindication settled in her chest, freezing over the last warm memories she held of him.

A sudden, sharp vibration broke the heavy silence.

On a cluttered table nearby, surrounded by spilled wine and crumpled napkins, Serena's phone screen lit up. The harsh white glare illuminated a new text message notification.

She picked up the device. It was from an unknown number. There was no greeting, no explanation, just two short, incredibly smug words dripping with victory.

[You lost.]